


Waiting on some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways

by lanyon



Series: Bad Boy Boogie [8]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 23:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5605837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanyon/pseuds/lanyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Kent's a bit slow on the uptake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting on some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways

**Author's Note:**

> +Title from the Killers.

They text a lot during the summer. It’s an easy conversation, kind of like the long-distance chatter they had when Gabriel was in Switzerland. 

Kent sends a lot of selfies too because he’s incredibly vain but it’s no hardship to look at his face, even if Gabriel would never admit as much to him. 

Gabriel’s not sure what’s going on, though; what it is between him and Kent but he’s fairly sure there’s something. 

On the night of Kent’s birthday party, after the fireworks and before everyone left, Kent pressed him up against the side of his ridiculous car and kissed him silly because, he said, it was his birthday. That seemed to be his excuse for everything, that day. 

They haven’t met since Kent’s birthday but that’s okay. Training camp is only a couple of weeks away and more of Kent’s selfies have involved work-out equipments and smoothies. Kent always pretends that he doesn't take hockey seriously but Gabriel knows better. He knows how hard Kent works. 

♠

Kent is texting Jack and, what’s more, Jack is texting back. It’s tentative, this cordial détente, but Kent thinks the truce will hold. He’s smiling at his phone when his mom comes into the living room. 

“You look happier than I’ve seen you in a while,” she says. 

Kent grins and slips his phone into his pocket; he’ll think of some cutting, yet amusing response to Jack’s latest, weak chirp. 

“You must miss him,” says his mom and Kent’s kind of surprised. They don’t really talk about Jack anymore. “Are you going to go up to Montreal?” 

Kent thinks for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. We’re not there yet.” It’s a truth that would have hurt considerably more, a year ago. 

His mom shrugs. “Fair enough. Such a nice young man, though.”

Kent squints at her. “I guess.” It’s a weird way to talk about Jack because she’s known him for at least ten years now. 

“I was talking to his sister at the party in July and —”

“Sister?” asks Kent. Jack doesn’t have a sister, unless — “Charbo.”

His mom looks confused. “Of course. I thought you and he—”

Kent goes bright red. His mother is probably the only person who can make him feel like an awkward teenager. He's an NHL captain, for fuck’s sake. “We're just friends, Mom, oh my god. Just because we're both gay, it doesn't mean—” He takes out his phone and waves it weakly. “I was texting Zimms.”

“Oh,” says his mom. Her eyebrows knit together, like she's about to explain to the twins why they can't go to Las Vegas on their own just yet. “I thought— Well, I suppose no one could make you smile like Jack could.”

♠

Gabriel’s at a friend’s house and he’s scrolling through Twitter when he sees it, reblogged by the Aces’ account. The weather’s pretty fucking hot and he’s lounging beside Rachel’s pool and a few of the guys are talking about going out later but Gabriel would be happy just to chill here. Rachel Lascaux is one of those girls who makes Gabriel wish he was even slightly straight (and that she was slightly straight, too) because she’s beautiful and vivacious and takes zero shit from anyone. He’s mildly terrified of her but she’s a good friend and her father’s pretty fucking great with the grill so no one is starving any time soon. 

He sits up when he sees the photograph and pushes his sunglasses up onto the top of his head as he squints at his phone. _Kent Parson and Jack Zimmermann_ spotted in Montreal.

He frowns and clicks on the link, which is dated today. _Kent Parson seen in Montreal, spending time with hockey’s greatest might-have-been. The two were inseparable during their time in junior hockey and were projected to go first and second in the 2009 NHL draft. Controversy has dogged Zimmermann since, as to the nature of his breakdown. Is Kent Parson scouting Zimmermann for a future reunion at the Aces? It’s worth remembering that Zimmermann, not Parson, was the one projected to go first overall. Given the Aces’ struggles last season, the possibility of Parson being reunited with his former linemate is an intriguing one. Cap space may be an issue so the Aces may have to tighten their belts when renewing the contracts of Jeff Forrester and Gabriel Charbonneau, who would also be attractive trade propositions for many teams in the league._

Gabriel swallows hard. There will always be trade talk about virtually every player in the league, who isn’t a Parson or a Toews or a Crosby. It doesn’t mean anything.

He texts Kent. _Hey, you in Montreal?_

Almost immediately, he can see the ellipses of Kent writing a reply which, when it comes, seems shorter than it should, given how long it apparently took to compose. _Yeah. Sorry. Leaving super early though. See you at training camp?_

Gabriel swallows. He doesn’t want to reply but it seems rude not to. _See you there, Cap._

He sets his phone to the side and puts his sunglasses back on. When Rachel’s cousin, Ray, comes over and offers him a beer, he smiles and takes it.

“So, where are we going tonight?”

♠

Spotted in Montreal:

On the same day that Kent Parson was seen in the company of Jack Zimmermann, Gabriel Charbonneau was spotted with friends at Bar le Cocktail. The first openly gay player in the NHL was said to be “quite close” with one of the party. It should also be noted that Charbonneau didn’t take part in karaoke at the popular gay bar. 

♠

It’s so good to be back on the ice with his team. The line-up has changed, of course, and there’s a handful of rookies to put through their paces. Kent’s pretty optimistic that Sven Bergsen, a Swedish D-man, will make the grade; Fiachra Murphy-Worthington and Blue Ramirez are two forwards who might slot into the third and fourth lines. 

Kent skates in a wide circle, as the rest of the team arrives. Seeing Beastly without Bash is a bit jarring and, aside from the rookies, they’ve got Benny from Pittsburgh and Anto from Calgary. Quinn’s probably going to be joining Kent and Jeff in the first line. He’s been doing good work down at the Foxes so maybe he’s ready for top tier hockey now. 

Kent thinks, briefly, about what it would be like to skate with Jack again and he crushes that thought down before it can take root, more than it already has. 

Charbo arrives, with Nibs and Kivs, because he’s bonded with the goalies and he doesn’t seem to notice Kent. He skates over to Barty who picks him clear off the ground as they hug. 

Kent thinks, briefly, about what it would be like to skate with Jack again, and not lose any more of his teammates. 

He joins Barty and Charbo and Barty slings his arm around Kent’s shoulders. 

“So, Captain, we’ll win the Cup this year, yes?”

“I don’t see why not,” says Kent. He nods at Charbo. “Hey, buddy. We gonna win the Cup?” 

“Yeah, I think so,” says Charbo, easily, and he smiles at Kent and Kent is probably imagining that it’s not as ready and bright as usual; he knows that Charbo only got back from Montreal this morning because of some endorsement obligations so he’s probably tired.

“You finally gonna buy an apartment this season, Charbo?” he asks. 

“I don’t know,” Charbo says with a shrug. “I kinda like the development I’m in and, well. I don’t know. It feels kinda like tempting fate or something.”

“Ah,” says Barty, folding down to tug Charbo under his other arm. “Someone has been reading trade rumours, yes?”

“What trade rumours?” asks Kent.

“The ones where we all get traded to make space for your old friend, Zimmermann,” says Barty.

Kent splutters. “That’s ridiculous. Jack’s still in college. He’s not gonna be looking at signing with anyone for at least a year.”

Charbo wriggles out from under Barty’s arm. “Hey, there’s Olafsson,” he says and he skates over to him. 

“Be good to your rookie,” says Barty, sternly, squeezing Kent’s shoulders.

“This is his third season,” says Kent. “I don’t think he counts as my rookie anymore."

“Hm,” says Barty. “If you say so.”

♠

They play the Bruins in a pre-season game. Kent and Gabriel are rooming together, like always. 

Gabriel’s facetiming with Ray while Kent’s in the shower and makes his apologies, quickly and in French, when Kent emerges. Ray’s promised to come down to Vegas some weekend, when his schedule allows it.

“Was that your mom?” asks Kent, rubbing at his hair with a towel. Gabriel’s not sure why he bothers, sometimes; it’s not like there’s anyway of controlling it (it’s not like Gabriel remembers burying his hands in Kent’s wayward golden hair, while Kent’s mouth—). Gabriel shakes himself.

“No,” he says. “A friend, from Montreal. He, uh. He may come see a game sometime.” 

He wonders if Kent knows what that means. He wonders if Kent cares.

♠

Their opening game is against Chicago, at the United Center. They have to endure the banner being raised which is pretty galling. It’s a reminder of how disastrous last season was.

The game is hard-fought. The Hawks’ home crowd is always a tough audience and the game moves fast. It’s tit-for-tat scoring in the second period and they go into the third period, trailing the Hawks by four goals to three. 

They get an early power play, when Bergy gets tripped, and Kent’s feeling it. He’s definitely feeling it. He and Jeff and Charbo surge over the boards and he wins the face-off. The puck is played back to Bergy and then Jeff carries it forward and passes it to Charbo who sends it behind the goal to Kent, who doesn’t even have to look to pick it up on the end of his stick, and there’s something about a wraparound goal that’s incredibly satisfying. He holds his arms out and Charbo skates straight into him and it’s pretty perfect.

“Fucking brilliant assist!” he yells into Charbo’s ear and they skate past the bench for the celebratory fistbumps. 

They win it, then, six goals to four. Murph gets a goal on his NHL debut and Kent gets the empty-netter with ten seconds to go, to complete his hat-trick.

The interviews are so optimistic and cheerful that anyone would think that it was post-season. Kent loves the start of any season, when there’s nothing but possibility ahead. 

He sits back, resting his head against the locker behind him. Charbo squeezes past and pats his knee. “Good work, Cap,” he says and then he’s off to the shower and Kent’s not going to follow, not this time, even though he remembers winning the Stanley Cup and kissing Charbo in the shower stalls after and Kent has a history of bad decisions but, sometimes, he thinks that kissing Charbo wasn’t one of them. 

♠

 **Las Vegas Aces** @lasvegasaces • 13m  
Great start to the new season. 6-4 Aces and a hattie for our captain, @KentParson

 **battle born** @battleborn hockey • 9m  
did you see the way parse was all COME HERE BABY to charbo? 

**this year, boys** @acesgrrl • 2m  
SUCK ON IT HAWKS SUCK ON IIIIT

♠  
Spotted in Las Vegas: Getting a smoothie with an unidentified blond man, Aces’ ace Gabriel Charbonneau. The two were seen laughing together as they walked back to Charbonneau’s car, on an off-day for the Aces. For more photographs, click here.


End file.
